Those who keep the balance
by Zhelezo
Summary: This is a Naruto story about a group similar to Akatsuki, formed much earlier than the red cloud warriors, and much more dangerous. How will the heroes of Naruto handle them? Will they even try? Chapter 1 is done, after a bit of reader reception, I'll see about continuing.


Life was going pretty well for Sasuke Uchiha. Of course, it all depended on who you asked. For thousands of missing nin across the Elemental Nations, the self-proclaimed "Avenger" was living the dream. He attacked a Kage world summit meeting, and not a single high-powered ninja was after him. The most powerful of the five nations was even DEFENDING him. Despite his murder, and many attempted murders of fellow Shinobi. If you asked him however, he'd brood. Endlessly brood on the subject, and maybe answer with one or two words. Probably "Not strong enough." Then a killing glare directed towards something in the distance.

Speaking of which… "So Sasuke, how's it going?" Suigetsu was rapidly becoming tired of all this goddamn silence. Conversation made life easier. Something nobody in the gang of loosers he was currently attached to could understand. Juugo was probably thinking of ways to kill him-

'What if I his head off… No, he's water. Maybe if I crushed him hard enough? No, wait… he'd slip through my fingers. What if I tore him apart and threw the bits? He might grow back… Hmmm… Why don't I pull his head off…'

-yeah, that avenue of conversation was CLOSED. Karin was fawning over Sasuke, shaking in her utterly soaked panties as she did her best to orgasm just by looking at the aggravating emo. Those were probably wetter than he was by now. Aaaand with that thought the water boy was now a little green. And Sasuke of course…

"Hn. I'm not strong enough… But I will avenge my clan soon…"

Yeah. Bunch of loosers. If only there was something to do-

"Hey Suigetsu, can you be burned?"

Oh SONOFA-

XjX

That day was pretty standard. Wander aimlessly behind Sasuke in a horrifically tedious game of "Follow the Leader" with a few minor detours for all too frequent games of "Follow the leaders hair gel supplier". Suigetsu had counted. Sasuke used more feminine products than Karin.

It was shaping up to be a normal, average, everyday, dusty as fuck GODDAMN WALK. Scraping off a thin layer of what felt like his foot, Suigetsu flicked the blended muck away. They were all dealing with the heat in their own wat. Karin was fanning Sasuke, her face red with blush. Sasuke was ignoring it, demonstrating the first signs of heatstroke. Who knew drinking too much water was "a sign of weakness".

Though... Suigetsu was worried. Juugo had been looking his way for over an hour, licking chapped lips. Thank Kami the man-beast didn't have a bendy straw, or Suigetsu would probably be filtering through kidneys by now.

"Sasuke Uchiha of the Sharingan eye. Your existence endangers the balance. I will fix this painlessly." A man wearing pure white robes dropped from the trees. His eyes held the empty, lavender orbs of a Hyuuga, though his headband was a simple blank sheet. Feet spread in the gentle fist stance, Suigetsu started to get a little antsy. Something was off with this Hyuuga. He'd killed the lavender eyed warriors before, none were all that tough. Prideful and arrogant as hell, but hey, what powerful clan wasn't. This one though… he felt special.

"His legs!" Suigetsu declared, pointing at the strange gentle fist stance. His "squadmates" didn't even notice. Sasuke just "Hn"-ed. Whatever that meant. And Juugo decided to rush the strange Hyuuga.

It was over in an instant, Juugo's curse mark was awake in full, and his bloodlust ran high. His mottled grey fist, sped up by the chakra vents that grew from his elbows, hurtled forward at speeds that could barely even be seen by the naked eye. As wide as a cinderblock and ten times as tough, the fist sped towards the Hyuuga, moving for a one hit kill. The Hyuuga stepped back, while Juugo collapsed onto the ground, his curse receeding, the grey burning out of his skin.

"I-it's gone!" Karin said in shock, watching as the unique chakra that gave Juugo his incredible Kekkai Genkai abilities simply… vanished. "How is that possible?"

Ignoring them all, the white robed warrior knelt next to the surprisingly young boy, his wizened face shaking slowly. "Your soul is tortured child. May you find balance in the awakening." His fingers were a blur, rapidly tapping Juugo's head, neck, chest, capping it off with a single palm strike to the root of the brain.

Juugo shook in his sleep, blinking rapidly. Then his body cringed, every muscle stretched taut beneath the skin. Finally he collapsed in a limp ball, a small smile appearing on the orange haired youth.

"Balance. A beautiful thing." Lavender eyes turned back to sasuke. "Your companions are irrelevant. I will not kill either, should they decide to help you. But you Uchiha, have much to answer for." He stepped back into that odd stance.

Suigetsu was still running over the stance, noting all the odd little differences. The forward foot was straight out, pointed like a spear. Odd, usually when people did that, they use lunges. Hyuuga were well known for the diving, twisting, stabbing fighting style, but all the base moves were defensive. This man… He was throwing his life into each step, supported by that tight back leg, ready to spring in an instant. For the second time, he doubted Sasuke's skills would be enough

"You." The Hyuuga was pointing two fingers, each point blazing with a tiny pinpoint needle of chakra. Worse still, they were pointed straight at the water swordsman, who was suddenly feeling a bit more watery. "You've see through me."

It wasn't a question, but a thin-lipped smile appeared on his lips. Then he vanished.

Sasuke was instantly on the defensive, Mangekyo Sharingan spinning as they tracked the rapid footsteps. The ribs of Susanoo formed around his chest, blocking a pinpoint Hyuuga strike. His Chidori sword flicked out, whistling through the wind with its speed. But the Hyuuga was gone, sidestepping in an instant, hunting for the Sharingan's blind spot.

Sasuke smirked, the simple old fool never had a chance. His hands raced through seals, forming a simple Doton: Earth Wall around them, as his Susanoo grew in full. The unbreakable chakra armor pushed the Hyuuga back, just as the massive walls rose around them. Trapped between the unbreakable, and solid earth, the man would be crushed. If he survived, he'd jump, as Hyuuga couldn't use jutsu beyond the clan techniques, and a simple fireball would solve the issue. It was checkmate, plain and simple, the old fool never had a chance against the might of the Uchiha clan.

The Hyuuga of course, was thinking something much different. Blue fingertips tapped the edge of armor, infusing it with strands of his chakra. Of course, no non-Uchiha could ever hope to use the Susanoo. It was a mass of hyper-dense chakra, called forth from the user and given some small semblance of sentience. Much like chakra armor, but formed into a series of linked sheets, massed in a purplish armor shape.

The foreign chakra of the gentle palm technique suddenly lengthened, turning it's own shade of visible blue. In the instant it touched the armor it flared, becoming just as hyper dense as the susanoo, enough to pierce the firm layer. The chakra dispersed, merging the armors many powerful layers until even they couldn't recognize each other, and a follow up palm strike shredded a fist-sized hole in previously impenetrable armor. It also put him in fist contact with the last Uchiha, where he fired a solid pulse of chakra.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Sasuke's scream could curdle blood, his body hurled dispassionately out of the earth pit. Karin ran to him in a heartbeat, yanking her sleeve up, pushing her bare skin against Sasuke's mouth. Whatever had happened to her personal idol, her kekkai genkai would make it all better.

"Bite me Sasuke! Come on! What's wrong with you?!" But the Uchiha's teeth were clenched tightly, as he screamed out from behind those shining perfect teeth. Karin was desperate, attempting procedure after procedure on her beloved one. At this point, she was trying to remove poison. Not even any specific poison, just general anything. It was an act of pitiful desperation from a pitiful kunoichi. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" The Hyuuga didn't spare her a glance, let alone a response.

He simply leapt from the pit, walking a slow, sedate pace towards a Suigetsu who was doing his best to rapidly back away. Being a man who often prided himself on his desire to you know, ACTUALLY SURVIVE, Suigetsu backed off, really really quick. "L-look, I'm leaving. Let me go, please?" Holy shit the old man was scary! He took down Sasuke in… Well he couldn't see inside the pit, but FUCK it was fast. And now he was closer, and closer. Shaky hands drew Kubikiribocho, the head cleaving carving knife of Zabiza Momochi, which Suigetsu had come to love. He couldn't manage any words as the Hyuuga was no more than an arm-length away.

Huh… Those eyes. They were smiling. Suigetsu flashed back to childhood, when his father used to play ninja with him. Before the bloodline purges… "You aren't going to attack me." He was certain. Those eyes, this man seemed… Proud of him?

"Young man. You have grown very strong. When other's would rely upon their gifts to fight-" He looked back in the direction of Karin's desperate shouts as she tried to wake Sasuke, "You grow with your abilities, learning the sword when you could be a splendid ninja without it. You inspire us all." With his words said, the Hyuuga bowed low before Suigetsu, and turned to leave.

"W-wait…" Suigetsu stopped him. "What is your name?" Of all the questions he could have asked… That was the only one he cared about. This man who held the grace of the seven swordsman.

"I'm just a tired old relic, looking to fix the future for my grandkids. Call me…" The Hyuuga vanished in an instant, blurring the dust at his feet in a display of pure speed, his name echoing through Suigetsu's mind.


End file.
